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Monday, 25 February 2013

Eroticon and Sex Education

Edited 6th March:As it turns out, life became a wee-bit complicated so I couldn't make Eroticon, which is what this post is about. Next year though, next year!-------------This
Sunday I am off to Eroticon, a sex blogger and erotic writer's conference. I plan on writing reports on the three sessions
on my “must attend” list for those who miss them.

“Diversity
2: Polyamory 101” with Lori Smith and Amanda Jones. Technically, I am
not sure I need to go to a Poly 101 session, having been immersed within it for
a couple of years now. However, I am enthusiastic to hear from different people and these two women are fab.
It is always possible to learn more and my experience of the poly community in
England is patchy to say the least.

“Diversity
3: Getting the Language of Sex Right” with Justin Hancock (of BISH fame).
This session is about using clear and inclusive sexual and gender diverse
language. I try to be good (see me polishing my shiny halo), and I hope this will confirm it, or at least show
me where I go wrong. Sadly, this session clashes with Molly Moore’s talk “Top
Ten Tips for Bloggers.” It is aimed at people who want to increase blog traffic,
and as much as I want to see Molly speak, I write my blog for me and any
additional traffic is a bonus. Attending a session on diversity is, however, an
important part of my personal development.

“Sex
Education 2: Storytelling and Sex” with Brooke, Emily Dubberly and Meg Barker
is my final absolute must session. This is for two reasons. First, Meg Barker.
Her blog and book “Rewriting the Rules” is fantastic and I find the way
she combines campaigning and academic work inspirational. Second, to match the
previous session I really want to improve how I explore and discuss sex issues
so that it can be informative. Having read some blog posts
which give a negative message (rightly or wrong representing what is being
presented), I feel a responsibility to portray my experiences in a useful and
helpful way. I choose to make my stories public and so I must be careful that
even a casual reader who encounters a single post through Google won’t get a mistaken
impression.

Initially, I
had two reasons to go to Eroticon: social and professional. I wanted to meet
fellow bloggers, have some fun, and make friends. Unfortunately, I will not
have time to do this now, but I may still be able to develop my ideas about
career diversification. I want to explore ways of beginning a new life and to
see whether sex education, writing, counseling, or therapy are possibilities
for me. Perhaps they won’t be, or perhaps Eroticon won’t help me find out, but
maybe the sessions I attend will help and I am sure they will be informative
all the same.